Pump the Brakes: The Tesla Semi Sees a Minor Delay

The Tesla Semi is not on pace for immediate production, and that’s actually a good thing for the embattled company.

Elon Musk has his hands quite full at the moment. From more crashes due to autonomous software failure in his Tesla cars to getting set to debut free rides in his Los Angeles Boring tunnel, it’s possible that some things slip through the cracks for the genius/Bond villain. In this case, the Tesla Semi.

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Seeking Alpha just took a leap saying that the self-driving, tech-heavy big rig of tomorrow is basically dead. There have been some production setbacks and open-ended promises, but, come on, it’s Tesla. Of course there are going to be some setbacks.

Crawl Before You Walk

While Musk has put the Tesla Semi on the back burner for now, focusing on endeavors like developing his much-anticipated Model Y and an updated Roadster–oh, and shooting humans into space–companies like Pepsi and Anheuser-Busch have already created partnerships with the Silicon Valley-based auto company. Pre-orders have already been put into motion, reaching about 2,000 orders, even though commercial production has been pushed back yet again.

In the meantime, Musk is putting his engineers to work with more emphasis on the Tesla Semi range. Initially, the 80,000-lb full capacity semi was envisioned getting about 500 miles per electric charge. Now, the number has bumped up to 600 miles, better for long-haul shipments.

When in Doubt, You Guys

Tesla Semi trucks are being tested out on roads, and while many are eager to see them actually being used to make deliveries, because that would be amazing to see, maybe taking the time to work out any kinks is appropriate given Tesla’s other catastrophes.

A lot has been made of electric, self-driving semi trucks lately. Besides the Tesla Semi, companies like Volvo, Amazon and Uber have been developing their own tech in the new vying war of the American transportation industry. But this delay in production and shift in focus from the top-down from Tesla has the potential to pay off in the long run with a more accredited approach.